Thai arms supplier extradited to India

A Thai citizen, suspected to be a key intermediary for northeastern rebel groups for arms procurement, has been extradited to India.

The interrogation of 59-year-old Wuthikorn Naruenartwanich alias Willy could throw fresh light on how Chinese arms are finding their way into the hands of insurgents in northeast of India. Indian agencies believe that he could also provide details of the engagement of Chinese agencies with Indian insurgent groups.

Willy “was extradited from Thailand and brought to India in compliance of the extradition order passed by a criminal court in Bangkok Thailand on 31.03.2014,” the National Investigation Agency said in a statement. Willy’s extradition was delayed by his appeal against the extradition order in an appellate court in Bangkok which was rejected on November 4.

Willy is accused in a criminal conspiracy for illegal procurement of sophisticated arms and ammunitions from China, for supply to Indian insurgent groups. The details of Willy’s role emerged after NIA arrested senior leader of Naga insurgent group NSCN (IM) Anthony Shimray, a nephew of NSCN founder T. Muivah and IM faction’s chief arms procurer. Shimray was arrested in 2010 in Patna, when he had come to India from Bangkok via Nepal.

According to NIA, Shimray had negotiated several times with Willy to fix a deal to the tune of US $1.2 million (approx Rs. 7.8 crore) to procure arms and ammunitionfor NSCN (IM) and other insurgent groups in the northeast.

“For this deal, US $800,000 was paid by accused Anthony Shimray to co-accused Wuthikorn Naruenartwanich @ Willy. NIA had filed a charge sheet in this case on 26.03.2011 against four accused persons” including Shimray and Willy under sections 120B, 121A, 122 of IPC and 16, 17, 18 and 20 of unlawful activities (prevention) act.

For long there have been Chinese signatures visible in the activities of northeastern insurgent groups. While several of them have regularly been to China, or taken shelter in the communist country, many of the arms and ammunitions used by northeastern groups were also suspected to be from China. In a tight state controlled arms bazaar, it was impossible for individuals to operate without state sanction, Indian agencies always believed.

An NIA report based on Shimray’s interrogation had clearly said the Chinese intelligence agencies are actively engaged with the Indian rebel groups. He purportedly said the Chinese agents in 2009 offered to sell surface-to-air missiles to the Naga rebels for $1 million. The deal fell through as the Naga group could not raise that money.